Pentagon to Create Climate Policy Post

The Tyndall Air Force Base chapel remained a pile of rubble following a demolition project at Tyndall AFB in Florida on February 11, 2019. The chapel was left in shambles after the base took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael, a category 4 storm October 10, 2018. The estimated cost of damage at the base was just under $5 billion. (US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Javier Alvarez)

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

The Pentagon says it will make some organizational changes as it increases its focus on climate change, reports Defense One. “We will have a senior person who deals with the whole range of these issues, and we’ll probably announce that in the next few weeks,” said Colin Kahl, defense undersecretary for policy.

GEN John Hyten of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has issued a warning about the pace of China’s missile testing, reports Breaking Defense. China has performed hundreds of hypersonic weapons tests in the last five years, compared to nine the United States has performed, Hyten said. Joint Chiefs Chairman GEN Mark Milley called China’s hypersonic weapons system “very concerning” and “very close” to a Sputnik moment as Beijing rapidly expands its military capabilities, reports The Washington Post.

The US Air Force has wrapped up the flight testing needed to ensure the B61-12 thermonuclear bomb design is compatible with the F-35A Lightning II, reports Air Force Times, paving the way for the jet to begin carrying nuclear weapons.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force took delivery of the first of four KC-46A tankers, reports Air Force Times, marking the program’s first delivery to a customer outside the US.

LT GEN Robert Skinner, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, said the agency has undergone a major reorganization, reports C4ISRNET. DISA has moved from two main centers to four — focusing on enterprise capabilities and security; cloud computing; operations and infrastructure; and  innovation.

COMSPOC, a company that provides space tracking and other information to private companies and governments, offered a glimpse into nation-to-nation run-ins in space, as shared with Breaking Defense. COMSPOC provided videos illustrating various interactions of satellites following each other.

US Special Operations Command says 98% of its roughly 70,000 members have received the COVID-19 vaccination, reports Navy Times.

Roll Call reports the White House is signaling that Pentagon employees and contractors refusing to get the vaccine may get more time to comply.

First lady Jill Biden made a trip to Italy where she visited children living on Naval Support Activity Naples, reports The Hill. She spoke to them about the challenges military families face. Her visit came as President Joe Biden left Italy to attend the COP26 climate summit in Scotland.

President Biden was in Glasgow to address the United Nations climate change conference, COP26. It’s the 26th time world leaders have met to try to limit global warming, reports CBS News.

 

 

General Electric was awarded a $1.6 billion contract to continue building the F110-129 engines for Boeing F-15EX Eagle IIs, reports Breaking Defense. Pratt & Whitney, which had produced F100 engines for the F-15 and F-15E, expressed disappointment that it was not selected for its F100-PW-229.

The Office of Personnel Management is expected to release new guidance on telework and remote work for federal agencies, reports Federal News Network. Initial rules released over the summer explained how many agencies could continue some flexible work arrangements offered during the pandemic and make them more permanent.

WalletHub has compiled its list of 2021’s Best & Worst Places for Veterans to Live. Tampa Bay, FL, tops the list.

US Army Staff Sgt. Adam Krauland, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, has been named the service’s Best Warrior. He is a cryptologic linguist specializing in Mandarin. The Anchorage Daily News described the competition as a cross between “Jeopardy” and “American Ninja Warrior.” Spc. Justin Earnhart who represented Army Futures Command, was named the 2021 Soldier of the Year, reports Task & Purpose.

The Marine Corps has a new tattoo policy, reports Marine Corps Times, which brings back sleeves and gets rid of rank-specific restrictions in an effort to improve retention and recruitment.

The Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff’s Office is evaluating the possible use of the Arizona National Guard temporarily to help operate its understaffed jail system, reports Navy Times.

US Southern Command has its first female leader. Army GEN Laura Richardson took over Friday from Navy ADM Craig Faller, reports Tampa Bay Times.

Kyle Rambo, NAS Pax River’s environmental and conservation director, was honored last month on base, reports The BayNet. A trail was renamed as the Kyle E. Rambo Nature Trail. His career at Pax has spanned nearly 40 years.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 am Sunday, November 7. NPR highlights four things you should know about the time change that takes place twice each year.

Gas prices are up, and so is the price for many other items, reports Patch.com. Prices are rising across the board. Households are paying more for food, household items, transportation, personal insurance and pensions, and housing.

Important mailing dates and packaging tips are being offered by Military.com as the holiday season approaches.

Contracts:

CDM Smith Bay-West JV, Boston, Massachusetts (W9128F-22-D-0011); Weston Solutions Inc., Chester, Pennsylvania (W9128F-22-D-0009); CAPE/USAE JV LLC, Norcross, Georgia (W9128F-22-D-0008); APTIM Federal Services Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana (W9128F-22-D-0007); AECOM Technical Services Inc., Los Angeles, California (W9128F-22-D-0006); Hydrogeologic Inc., Reston, Virginia (W9128F-22-D-0005); Tetra Tech Inc., Omaha, Nebraska (W9128F-22-D-0004); Arcadis U.S. Inc., Highlands Ranch, Colorado (W9128F-22-D-0003); Jacobs Government Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia (W9128F-22-D-0002); EA Engineering, Science and Tech Inc., Hunt Valley, Maryland (W9128F-22-D-0001); and Parsons Government Services Inc., Denver, Colorado (W9128F-22-D-0010), will compete for each order of the $240,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2026. US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.

Alpha Communications Services, Fairfax Station, Virginia, was awarded a competitive, single-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling value of $40,000,000 for the provision of non-personal services for audiovisual, visual information, video teleconference, and videophone support services in support of the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Department of Defense Fourth Estate agencies. The first task order, valued at $14,435,734, is funded by fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds. Primary performance will be at Defense Information Systems Agency headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland. Proposals were solicited via the sam.gov website, and three proposals were received. The ordering period is Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2026. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, Fort Meade, Maryland, is the contracting activity (HC1047-22-D-0001).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $25,933,902 firm-fixed-price modification (P00005) to task order FA8214-21-F-0078 to exercise Options Three, Four and Five under the Ground Subsystems Sustainment contract (FA8214-15-D-0001) for the Minuteman III Remote Visual Assessment II. Work will be performed in Ogden, Utah; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana; Minot AFB, North Dakota; and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2022 missile procurement funds in the amount of $25,933,902 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity.

The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory LLC, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,609,797 task order (FA8819-22-F-1000) to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract FA8819-18-D-0009 for Space Domain Awareness engineering and analysis in support of the development, technical assessment, evaluation and independent review of identified prototype and deployed systems. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by May 10, 2025. The Space Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, California, is the contracting activity.